Nearly 30 people died Friday in an elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
At least 10 of the dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School were children, the source said. At a news conference Friday afternoon, state police Lt. Paul Vance would say only that there had been “several fatalities.”
The school was secure, and the public was not in danger, Vance said.
“Why? Why?” one woman wailed as she walked up a wooded roadway leading from the school.
A parent who was inside the school at the time of the attack said she heard what sounded like at least 100 rounds being fired. She said she saw two school employees who had died.
Hospital officials in neighboring Danbury said they were treating three people wounded in the shooting. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said the victims were in “very serious” condition.
The shooter is dead, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN’s Susan Candiotti. The suspect’s body is in a classroom at the school, the source said.
Police and teachers rushed students from the building as police swarmed the area shortly after the first calls came in, around 9:40 a.m. ET. Officials moved students to a nearby firehouse, where parents frantically sought information about their children.
Rabbi Shaya Deitsch is the Shliach in the nearby Ridgefield, Connecticut area, and he is at the firehouse now, he told COLlive.
After hearing of the horrific shooting, Rabbi Deitsch rushed to the scene to see if he could help families affected. “At this point, none of the members of the Jewish community were involved,” he said.
While at the scene, Deitsch said he spoke with Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy, who told the Shliach, “It’s Chanukah. It was supposed to be a lighter day today.”
“I told him, ‘Light always overpowers darkness.'”
Rabbi Deitsch said the people in the area are giving each other strength in the wake of the tragedy. “The people in the streets here are giving each other comfort and strength. People are hugging and encouraging each other,” he said.
“We will be inviting people to join us on Shabbos to light Shabbos and Chanukah candles to add extra light in this city and say a prayer for the victims and their families,” he said.
when he heard the police coming he shot himself!
he shot himself. maybe u should watch the news
that is correct but because they do NOT do as the Rebbe said with the moment of silence it is neccesary to carry a concealed firearm to turn a few minutes of gunfire into a MOMENT OF SILENCE.
The shooter killed himelf, after he shot all those inicent people and kids.
So was the shooter caught? And how do we know who he is?
I dont know why people have all those guns in their house, like the mother of the shooter she had 3 guns, and if you do have a gun, you should have it locked up so no one can get to it, because you never know.
100% true
its not so much about gun contrrol… iys the chinuch children recieve. That they grow up with guns and hardly heard what the Rebbe called for so strongly “a moment of silence in schools about a G-d in the world!!! its all terutzim about he was crazy.. Even carzies have a limiti!!???
thank you rabbi deitch for your heroic effort
Those children didnt even get a chance to live. It is such a tragedy I feel for the community, School is suppose to be safe, those poor kids are going to be scared to go back to school. what do you tell kids at such a young age.
It is such a tragic incident, I cant imagine what those parents are going through, I wonder what went through this guys mind as he was shooting these inicent children and adults.
…..his mother was NOT a teacher at the school. He killed her at her home before he went to the school. 28 souls lost….how does one ever live with the loss of a child…such a senseless act of violence. Gd bless Rabbi Deitch for going to give comfort at such a heartwrenching time.
the shooter probably had bad memories in that school and came for revenge. he was obviously not well
he took the guns from his mothers house. ( his parents were seperated.) the guns were registered to his mother. she used to take her sons target practicing. Peter Lanza ( father) is tax director and vice president of taxes for GE Energy Financial Services in the New York City area, according to his resume posted on the website LinkedIn. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University in Boston since 1995 and also teaches a partnership tax class in the master’s in taxation program at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, his LinkedIn page statese her sons target… Read more »
you people have really gotta watch the news instead of making things up. shooters name was adam lanza, 21 yrs old. he took the guns from his mothers house,
There was a Jewish boy killed – 6 year old Noah Pozner, nebach. Baruch Dayan Haemes.
he killed his parents who were teachers at the school
Rabbi deitsch a real example of mesiras nefesh
The shooter was under the age of 21. His father is a white collar teacher.
The man took the guns from home. They were legally registered by his parents. More guns cause more tragedies. There are safer ways to protect your family.
IT WAS A 24 YR OLD BOY, he was the son of a teacher at the school, when they went to notify HIS father, he was dead, also shot in NJ
What kind of crazy father would do that sort of thing?